Fairy Tale Chess
Fairy Tale Chess Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Printing the Cards
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At the end of these instructions you'll find the cards for printing. If your home printer doesn't print on card stock, find a local print shop that does. Alternatively print to adhesive paper.
HINT: In my experience, local universities often have a discounted print shop.
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When printing to card, print to both sides of the card. When printing to adhesive paper, print to one side.
HINT: You may want to experiment with your printer options and how to print with some normal paper first.
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Once printed cut the Chance Cards and the Story Cards to size. If you printed to adhesive paper you can stick the images to pre-cut blank card, or even unused playing cards.
HINT: Being precise is nice, but you should still have fun if you aren't.
The Cards
Story Cards
Story Cards outline the scenario for the match. The cards list each player's starting (and max) Pieces, which pieces are Essential, and what the Victory Condition is.
Chance Cards
Chance Cards cause random effects: Ally Cards instantly give you extra Pieces to play with; Blessing Cards instantly cause something good to happen to the player; Chaos Cards instantly cause good and bad things to happen to either or all players; Curse Cards instantly cause something bad to happen to the player; and Spell Cards can be saved by the player and used at any time.
How to Play
Choose a Story Card outlining the scenario for this match.
Except where explicitly stated otherwise, follow the basic rules of Chess.
- At the start of their turn the player turns over a Chance Card.
- Ally – Play instantly.
- Blessing – Play instantly.
- Chaos – Play instantly.
- Curse – Play instantly.
- Spell – Usable once, at any time (put into hand).
- If the card is unable to affect play (i.e. already too many pieces of the type specified by the Ally Card) ignore the card, but do not draw another.
- Move one Piece.
- Next Player's turn.
Pieces
Piece key used in the Story Card diagrams:
- Bishop (B)
- Castle (C)
- Dragon (D)
- Fairy (F)
- King (K)
- Knight (N)
- Peasant (P)
- Prince (I)
- Princess (R)
- Queen (Q)
- Witch (W)
- Wolf (L)
The Direction, Speed and Special of each piece are printed on the Ally cards listed under Chance Cards below.
Story Cards
Diagrams show the starting position, Black at the top and White at the bottom. Rank 8 is the top row. . is an empty square.
All the King's Horses And All the King's Men
Starting position:
8 C N B Q K B N C
7 P P P P P P P P
6 . . . . . . . .
5 . . . . . . . .
4 . . . . . . . .
3 . . . . . . . .
2 P P P P P P P P
1 C N B Q K B N C
Scenario
Kings cannot be captured. A threatened King must be moved to a non-threatened square.
Victory Condition
When a King is unable to move to a non-threatened square the player loses.
Max Pieces
- Black: King (1) [Essential]; Other (unlimited)
- White: King (1) [Essential]; Other (unlimited)
Damsel in Distress
Starting position (on the printed card the pieces in the top-left group are Black's, except the R on a8, which is White's Princess; the pieces in the lower-right group are White's):
8 R C P . . . . .
7 C C P . . . . .
6 P P D . . . . .
5 . . . . . . . .
4 . . . . . . . .
3 . . . . . . P P
2 . . . . . P C N
1 . . . . . P N .
Scenario
The White Princess cannot capture. The White Princess cannot be captured.
Victory Condition
White wins when the Princess moves into the opposite corner. Black wins when White only has the Princess on the board.
Max Pieces
- Black: All (unlimited)
- White: Princess (1) [Essential]; Other (unlimited)
Huff and Puff
Starting position:
8 . L L L L L L .
7 . . . . . . . .
6 . . . . . . . .
5 . . . . . . . .
4 . . . . . . . .
3 . . . . . . . .
2 . . . C C . . .
1 . . . C C . . .
Scenario
No special rules.
Victory Condition
Capture all your opponent's pieces.
Max Pieces
- Black: All (unlimited)
- White: All (unlimited)
Magic vs Might
Starting position:
8 W I D R F D I W
7 L L L L L L L L
6 . . . . . . . .
5 . . . . . . . .
4 . . . . . . . .
3 . . . . . . . .
2 P P P P P P P P
1 C N B Q K B N C
Scenario
Black Fairy and White King cannot be captured. A threatened Black Fairy or White King must be moved to a non-threatened square.
Victory Condition
When a Black Fairy or White King is unable to move to a non-threatened square the player loses.
Max Pieces
- Black: Fairy (1) [Essential]; Other (unlimited)
- White: King (1) [Essential]; Other (unlimited)
Chance Cards
Blessing, Chaos, Curse and Spell card text is given verbatim under each card name. The card type is printed in the footer of each card.
Ally
Each Ally card names a piece and prints its Direction, Speed and Special; they are listed here with those three fields as printed.
- Bishop – Direction: Diagonal 1. Speed: Any. Special: None.
- Castle – Direction: Edge Adjacent. Speed: Any. Special: None.
- Dragon (2 cards) – Direction: Edge Adjacent. Speed: Any. Special: Jumping.
- Fairy (2 cards) – Direction: Any 1. Speed: 2 Squares. Special: Jumping.
- King – Direction: Any 1. Speed: 1 Square. Special: None.
- Knight – Direction: Any 2. Speed: 2 Squares then 1 Square Perpendicular. Special: Jumping.
- Peasant – Direction: Forward. Speed: 1 Square. Special: Capture Diagonal Only.
- Prince (2 cards) – Direction: Any 2. Speed: 2 Squares then 1 Square Perpendicular. Special: None.
- Princess (2 cards) – Direction: Any 1. Speed: 3 Squares. Special: None.
- Queen – Direction: Any 1. Speed: Any. Special: None.
- Witch (2 cards) – Direction: Any 1. Speed: Any. Special: Jumping.
- Wolf (2 cards) – Direction: Any 1. Speed: 1 Square. Special: Capture Diagonal Only.
Blessing
- Borrowed Broomstick – "The next piece you move may jump any piece/s in its path."
- Helper Elves – "You move two pieces this turn."
- Impersonator – "Swap positions with any two of your pieces."
- Long Lost Sibling – "Return one of your Captured pieces adjacent to any other of your pieces."
- Royal Decree – "Replace one of your non-essential pieces with another non-essential piece of your choice."
- True Love's Kiss – "Return one of your Captured pieces to its starting position."
Chaos
- Kidnapped! – "Your opponent moves one of your non-essential pieces three spaces in any direction."
- Reincarnation – "Your opponent chooses one of your non-essential pieces to be replaced with a Captured piece of your choice."
- Tipsy Fairy Godmother – "You must replicate any Curse on yourself or any Blessing on your opponent."
Curse
- Forest Fire – "Your opponent chooses one of your non-essential pieces, it and all other non-essential pieces within the same Row are Captured."
- Poisoned Apple – "You miss this turn."
- Pushed into an Oven – "Your opponent Captures any one of your non-essential pieces."
- Stolen Porridge – "Your opponent Captures any one of your non-essential pieces."
- Transmogrification – "Your opponent demotes one of your non-essential pieces to a Peasant."
- Turncoat – "Your opponent replaces one of your non-essential pieces with an equivalent piece of his."
Spell
- Potion of Youth – "Return any one piece in play to its starting position."
- Remove Curse – "You can choose to ignore the effects of one Curse."
- Wish – "You can replicate any Blessing or Curse on either yourself or your opponent."